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Unguarded with Rachel Nichols

Joe Torre Weighs in on State of Baseball; Kevin Durant Founds Group to Help Kids; Sales of Devon Still Jersey Aide Pediatric Cancer Patients; Victor Cruz on His Career So Far

Aired October 10, 2014 - 22:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Tonight on UNGUARDED WITH RACHEL NICHOLS, baseball legend Joe Torre talks playoffs, saying good-bye to Derek Jeter and the future of Alex Rodriguez.

JOE TORRE, FMR MANAGER, NEW YORK YANKEES: I think we're all curious to see Alex come back.

ANNOUNCER: The NBA's MVP and all-around good guy, Kevin Durant, on today's sports culture and how even he is the target of hateful social media.

KEVIN DURANT, NBA PLAYER: People are hoping that I get hurt. I've heard racist remarks. I've heard everything.

ANNOUNCER: And the Cincinnati Bengals, Devon Still shares an update on his 4-year-old daughter whose battle with cancer has captured hearts all over the world.

DEVON STILL, CINCINNATI BENGALS PLAYER: The hardest moment for me was listening to the doctor tell me that I only had half a chance of having my daughter in my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RACHEL NICHOLS, HOST: Welcome to UNGUARDED.

Imagine getting a job when you're 20, then staying with that same company until you're 74. That's the 54-year relationship that Joe Torre has had with baseball.

As a player, Torre made nine all-star appearances. As a manager, he won four World Series with the Yankees. And now he's the sports executive vice president of operations.

So as the baseball playoffs dominate October, we figured there was no better person to check in with. And here's something that you might not know. Torre also has a personal story that touches on one of the most difficult issues in sports right now. Domestic violence. We talked to him about all of it in this very revealing conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NICHOLS: Well, it is great catching you in the heart of the baseball playoffs. Now, when you managed the Yankees, this was the time of year a lot of your teams just really excelled. Sports dynasties in general are becoming more aware. And certainly, most of us have never been in the middle of one. What is it like?

JOE TORRE, FORMER MANAGER, NEW YORK YANKEES: You know, you never think about it. You're just thinking about how we're in the playoffs. And you just get that tunnel vision that you have to do. And the fact that it didn't come to me until I was, like, 56 years old. And then it came, every year. It was wow. And I had a great group. I had a bunch of grownups. You don't see that very often.

NICHOLS: Derek Jeter, of course, one of the fixtures of your time at the Yankees. You were at his last home game at Yankee Stadium before he retired. He does the Derek Jeter thing. Walk off RBI. Wins the game. I mean, crazy. What first word came out of your mouth when he hit that ball?

TORRE: Well, you've got to -- you've got to let me build up to this. They brought a bunch of former teammates of his and myself. And Georgia Prosada (ph) says, "They're going to walk him. They're going to walk him." And -- I didn't think they would. I said, "No they've won't." And kiddingly, I said, because I'm in the position I'm in with baseball, I said, "If Buck walks him, we'll just suspend them."

NICHOLS: Absolutely.

TORRE: I'll make sure he gets penalized for that. You know, Derek gets the first pitch off to right field. And it's like I have seen this act before. And -- but he's always -- he's always been a guy that basically can will himself to do things like that.

NICHOLS: Of course the other former player a lot of people ask you about is Alex Rodriguez. What was it like for you when he was going through such a bitter battle with the league over his suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. You're a former player. A long history with him. And yet you work for the league now.

TORRE: Well, just being a baseball person. I was sad for him. Knowing Alex, knowing how important the game of baseball is to him. You know, I'm curious about, you know, where he is coming back next year. I know physically he'll be OK.

NICHOLS: But mentally.

TORRE: Mentally, who knows? You know, he's taken a year out of his career at a crucial time and -- you know, age-wise. So I think we're all curious to see, you know, Alex come back.

NICHOLS: I want to ask you about one of the big issues in sports right now. We've seen the domestic violence conversation continue across several leagues. It's new to some people to talk about it this much. Certainly not new to you. You devoted your entire foundation, Safe at Home, to this issue. And that comes from personal experience. TORRE: it does. When I was a kid, my dad abused my mom. When my mom

put dishes on the table for lunch or dinner, and he didn't like it. He threw the dishes against the wall. I was in the room, because he was a New York City -- a detective. When he did go for his revolver, you know, I was in the room for that, as I think, a 9-, 10-year-old.

And I -- you know, I never really put the nervousness that I experienced as a kid or the low self-esteem. I didn't go out for my high-school baseball team as a freshman, because I didn't think I was good enough.

So I had a lot of these feelings that I thought I was born with. And then I want to some -- a symposium, or therapy, whatever you want to call it. And then discovered that a lot of things that went on in my household affected my feelings. And it was a revelation for me.

And that's when we started off, Safe at Home foundation. Adrian Peterson caught my attention, because it involved a child. And again, you know, Adrian Peterson was just doing something that he basically learned from his dad. And it's something that I think we all need to be made aware of.

This stuff has been going on for years. It's been a very uncomfortable subject to talk about. And I think now, with the NFL bringing it into the light, that people are forced to talk about it and hopefully, be more proactive in doing something about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NICHOLS: Torre's work with victims of child abuse couldn't come at a more important time. Just yesterday, former Bears general manager, Jerry Angelo, told "USA Today," the NFL swept, quote, "hundreds and hundreds" of domestic violence cases under the rug during his 30 years working in team offices. More troubling news for a troubled league.

All right. As for baseball, the playoffs continue Saturday on TBS at 4 p.m. Eastern, and on FOX at 8 p.m. Eastern.

And as for UNGUARDED, well, you will definitely want to stick with us. Right after this break, some very real talk, from the NBA's most valuable player, Kevin Durant.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NICHOLS: I'm Rachel Nichols. And welcome back to UNGUARDED.

All the highlights of last season's NBA playoffs, the most memorable moment didn't even come on the court but from a guy in a suit. Remember this: Kevin Durant giving his MVP acceptance speech and thanking his mom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DURANT: You kept us off the street. You put clothes on our backs, food on the table. And when you didn't eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You're the real MVP. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NICHOLS: Such an incredibly powerful moment. And not just because it was so emotional. Durant's entire speech was framed in kindness and gratitude, the exact opposite of the feeling often running through the world of sports and, frankly, our culture at large these days. We wanted to tackle that bigger issue, so who better to bring in than Kevin himself?

K.D. recently started a program, teaching kids to be just a little nicer in the world, a little more kind. And I caught up with him earlier. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICHOLS: Welcome, Kev, although before we get to everything else. I still have to ask you, even months later, how often does someone come up to you and talk to you but that MVP speech?

DURANT: Every day. Every day. And I was glad I was able to inspire some people. And give some people some hope, so you know, it was -- it was well-received.

NICHOLS: Sports culture today has all the talk about the haters and there's also this idea of, hey, it doesn't matter if someone loves me or hates me as long as they're talking about me. How do you think we got here? Actually being thought of as a good person, that doesn't seem to be as important any more in the world of sports as, hey, people are looking at me.

DURANT: We are in the spotlight so much. It changes -- it changes, you know, perspective on things and how people view you. You know, the words we speak and our actions go such a long way with people. And with social media, that stuff is out of proportion, as well. So just being conscious that you're a role model. You're setting an example for kids coming up.

And once you look at it that way, then you start to realize, you know, taking -- being held accountable for your actions and your words. And you know, just trying to -- just trying to, you know, make the world a better place by starting with yourself.

NICHOLS: Internet culture is such a big part of sports today. You and I have talked before about some of the crazy messages that athletes get on social media. If someone doesn't like the color of the jacket you wear to an awards show. Can you give our viewers here just a little taste of how far fans will go with what they write to athletes?

DURANT: Well, it goats pretty far, man. I've heard some of the most cruel things over social media. You know, people hoping that I get hurt. I've seen, you know, "I hope you tear your ACL." I've heard racist remarks. I've heard everything.

We live in a society where it is just, you know, everybody loves conflict. Everybody loves hate. Everybody loves to talk people down. Or, be negative. So once you go to the other side of things and be positive with people, it's kind of -- it's, you know, people don't respond to it so well.

NICHOLS: It's not easy. You've been spending some time with kids working on a project called Strong and Kind. Basically trying to teach them to have those same values your mother taught you.

DURANT: I never wanted to change who I was because the crowd was doing something. I just wanted to be myself. And, you know, being strong and kind is just a part of me. It's so authentic to me. And I just wanted to show everybody, you know, what I believe in.

NICHOLS: All right. So let's talk about basketball for a minute. How does LeBron James going back to Cleveland change the landscape of the NBA right now?

DURANT: He's such a great player. And, you know, he's -- he can definitely change the franchise, you know, by his presence. So should be a fun year. I'm looking forward to it.

NICHOLS: And you know, as soon as LeBron went home to Cleveland, it ramped up all the talk about you possibly going to play for your hometown team, the Washington Wizards.

You and LeBron are good friends. Has he given you advice on how to focus yourself through the season, just stay with the basketball? Because you know all that speculation and conversation is only getting louder as the season goes on.

DURANT: Yes, well, I got two more years on my contract. So, I'm just trying to stay focused on what we have here in Oklahoma City and not worry about other stuff. When that time comes, you know, I'll sit down. The people that mean the most to me and talk it through. But as of right now, I enjoy working out every single day with Russell Westbrook. And my trainers and just trying to achieve our goal one day. So we'll see.

NICHOLS: All right. Well, I know as you work for that title this coming year. See your mom in the stands rooting for you. Hopefully, you'll have a chance for a speech, thanking her for the end of the season there, right?

DURANT: Yes, hopefully. We'll see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NICHOLS: Of course, I'm any sure the next big speech Kevin really wants to give is after he wins his first NBA title. We're going to have to see how that plays out.

In the meantime, though, some very thoughtful stuff from him at just 26 years old.

All right, coming up, you're going to hear from the Bengals' Devon Still, whose 4-year-old daughter is inspiring millions. But first our "Nikon Unguarded Moment of the Week." Last night the

Texans looks like they were going to stage a comeback for the ages. After trailing 24 to nothing, they clawed their way back to 33-28. They even had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but they blew it.

First, receiver Andre Johnson fumbles. Then quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with, yes, another fumble. The Colts win. The Texans are left to wonder what might have been.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NICHOLS: Welcome back to UNGUARDED. I'm Rachel Nichols.

If you were among the millions watching the Bengals and Patriots last Sunday. You surely noticed the moment football didn't matter anymore and all that did was Cincinnati defensive tackle Devon Still.

The Patriots, you know, the opponent, they staged a tribute to Still and his adorable 4-year-old daughter Leah, who has been fighting stage four cancer. Even the New England cheerleaders wore Still's No. 75 Bengals jersey. Just incredibly moving.

And I want to welcome Devon Still in here now. First, what was it like in that moment, Devon? We saw the tears rolling down your face. It just seemed so moving.

STILL: It was amazing to see. Just to be coming, running off the field, be able to look up at the big screen, seeing my daughter performing the video with all the other brave kids that are fighting cancer. And then being able to look over and see the cheerleaders wearing my jersey to support the cause. It was definitely an amazing moment for me.

NICHOLS: And Leah's tumor was in her abdomen. You posted this great video of you giving her a little pep talk on the way to the hospital. Then you posted her picture after her six-hour surgery that removed the tumor. Give us the update now. How is she doing right now?

STILL: She's doing pretty well. She starts her last round of chemo this Friday. They gave her an extra week just to get rehydrated and be able to gain her weight back so that the chemo doesn't have a big effect on her this time around. So hopefully, the chemo goes good and is able to take away some of the cancer cells that spread throughout her body.

NICHOLS: I know things are looking up. But I can't imagine when you first heard the news from doctors about her cancer. They only gave her a 50/50 chance to survive. What was the hardest moment for you? Was it you had to explain all this to her or just go through it as a parent?

STILL: I think the hardest moment for me was listening to the doctor tell me that I only had half a chance of having my daughter in my life. I think that was hard on me, and it was hard on her mother, as well. And the rest of our family, because as a parent, you never want to hear that your child, your child only has a 50 percent chance of living. You want to always hear that they have 100 percent chance.

NICHOLS: Yes, just heart-wrenching. And we've heard so much that's been wrong with the NFL in the past few months. But what the Cincinnati Bengals after you got that news, it really is pretty amazing. They ended up cutting you the summer for football reasons. But then they resigned you to the practice squad, just so you could keep your health insurance. Then they decided to donate all the profits from your jersey sales to pediatric cancer research.

STILL: They've been amazing in this process. From day one, when I first called them and told them that my daughter had cancer, they allowed me to take off from OTAs to spend time with my family and take care of things that wasn't necessarily football.

And when I came back, they -- they definitely helped me with dealing with being away from my daughter, while she's dealing with cancer. And like you said, they started selling my jersey and donating 100 percent of the proceeds to pediatric cancer research here in Cincinnati. So they've definitely stepped up as an organization to help out the cancer community.

NICHOLS: And you've also watched your daughter just be incredibly brave and generous. We saw her take part in a PSA, "Truly Brave," to raise money to help other kids. I mean, what have you learned about your 4-year-old through all this?

STILL: That she's strong. She's stronger than anybody that I've ever known. To be able to fight for your life and still walk around with a smile on your face and still have that energetic personality is amazing to me and is definitely inspiring people all over the world.

NICHOLS: That's for sure. Well, Devon, we certainly wish Leah a very speedy recovery. Your jersey now holds the record for most sold in a single day in Bengals team history. I have a feeling there's going to be a few more people headed to that website to pick up that No. 75 after this. So we appreciate it.

STILL: Thanks for having me.

NICHOLS: What a great story. All right. We have more NFL coming up for you on UNGUARDED. Stick with us through this break.

"GQ" magazine calls him one of the most stylish athletes in the country. The New York Giants, well, they just call him captain. Victor Cruz joins us to talk football. And also what it's like to got a call from Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR CRUZ, NEW YORK GIANTS PLAYER: They say, "Hello, can you please hold for the president?"

And I'm like, "Absolutely I'll hold for the president."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NICHOLS: I'm Rachel Nichols. Welcome back to UNGUARDED.

Even with all the NFL's troubles, there is nothing Americans like more than sitting down in front of their televisions and watching football. Literally nothing.

For three years in a row, the No. 1 TV series in the country has been "NBC's Sunday Night Football." And this Sunday night's match-up is a good old-fashioned NFC East brawl between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

Earlier I caught up with one of the Giants' team captains, wide receiver Victor Cruz. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICHOLS: Welcome, Victor. We have to start with the huge game this weekend. Take us inside what rivalry games in the NFL are like. How do they feel to the players?

CRUZ: Rivalry games are amazing. I mean, there's definitely attention to detail on the practice field and the meeting rooms. It's definitely intense, an intense week. It's all over social media. Your friends, your family, asking me what our game plan is, as if they even understand what's going on. It's definitely an intense week.

NICHOLS: And your team is on this great roll right now. You won three straight after the 0-2 start. And as the counter to that is that the NFL has taken this huge hit with the public this season. So what was it like for guys look you? All these stories are mushrooming over the last month. What was that like to experience? And where do you think the NFL is right now with earning back the public trust?

CRUZ: I think it was tough for me personally, just seeing everything unfold. Because, you know, you want to see this league represented in the right light. You want to see your favorite players doing things that are positive, not -- not the latter. So it's tough.

And I think the NFL is climbing back to getting in good graces. They're working their way back into the good graces of these families, of these fans. Obviously, there's some hurdles that still needs to be jumped. But they're working through that and getting to where they need to be.

NICHOLS: Yes, there are nearly 1,700 NFL players, most of whom do make news off the field for good things. I mean, you're about to stage a huge Halloween event, I know, to benefit kids in education. You've also been involved in initiatives to help kids from underserved areas not just make it to college but stay in college. What part of that desire comes from your own experiences?

CRUZ: All of it, actually. I was a guy that didn't do the best while I was in college. You know, it was in and out of college, due to academic issues. The thing for me was, I knew how to get to college, but I didn't know how to stay in college. I didn't know that I needed to go to study halls. I didn't know that I needed to study a lot, you know, have time management to give myself time to study and do all those proper things.

So that's what I want to instill, particularly in the youth of these urban neighborhoods that don't really have someone there to push them.

NICHOLS: When you think about what your life was like growing up and what it's like now, you're on the front row of all these fashion shows. You've become a mainstay in "GQ," and I would imagine another real "is this really my life" moment came when you picked up the phone and it's President Obama calling you. I mean, where were you? What was happening when the phone rang?

CRUZ: I was at the facility, and I was -- you know, I was just getting out of practice, and I was about to shower up and change. And the phone call comes through. And I answer. I normally don't answer blocked calls, but a phone call comes through and I answer it, and they say, "Hello. Can you please hold for the president?"

And I'm like, "Absolutely, I'll hold for the president."

NICHOLS: President Obama later came out and said he was just so impressed by your story, your perseverance. I mean, you're a guy who wasn't even drafted into the NFL. Now you're a team captain for the New York Giants. For people who don't even play football, is there any lesson for them in your story, about life in general?

CRUZ: Absolutely. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Because I'm living, breathing proof that, no matter what you think, no matter what wrongs go on in your life and things that may happen, you can reach your ultimate goal and you can reach the pinnacle of the career that you want to reach through hard work and dedication.

NICHOLS: Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

CRUZ: No problem. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NICHOLS: Always fun there talking to Victor. Football is just one very impressive side of a very impressive young man.

All right. That's going to do it for tonight's show. But you can get more of your UNGUARDED fix by following me on Twitter and Facebook and on the web at CNN.com/Unguarded. And we'll see you right back here next Friday night on UNGUARDED, where the end of the game is just the start of the story. Good night.